Blog Archive - 2017

Many factors contribute to the gender disparity in the amount of time men and women spend doing unpaid care work. Countries where traditional gender norms are still deeply entrenched, including many developing nations, have some of the highest differences in the amount of unpaid care work performed by women and men.

Five inspirational women from around the state spoke on this season’s theme: Finding our voices and the courage to use them. Each speaker had a unique take on what it means to tap into one’s unique voice. The evening was a powerful reminder of how difficult it can be for women to identify their authentic voice.

When I began working in marketing, my boss was a woman. She allowed me flexibility and let me bring my preschooler to the office on occasion. I also unfortunately witnessed and experienced overt sexism in the company culture, which negatively affected how I and other women were promoted, compensated, and treated.

In October of 2017, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help Utah caregivers. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

Sheer numbers tell us it’s difficult for women to reach the highest echelons of business, politics, academia, and entertainment. Cultural and social norms can make it feel like a woman’s place isn’t in leadership, and sometimes the little voices in our heads tell us we just aren’t good enough.

This post will highlight Sui Lang Panoke and her presentation on social media and finding your voice. Sui is the founder of Women Politics Media, and RE-Think Tank. Through these organizations, Sui works to train leaders, primarily women, emerging leaders and people of color in communication.

In September 2017, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of healthcare experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions to help Utah women have access to health care. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

In 2014, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) released a research and policy brief titled, “The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Education.” The document was one of four released in 2014 that focused on understanding the status of women’s leadership in politics, education, nonprofits, and business.

Did you know that 72% of Utah’s adult women work? In Utah, women make up 44% of the total workforce. Utah Women and Education researchers have conducted in-depth research to shed light on why more young women around the state are not attending and graduating from college.

In 2016, American women earned approximately 20% less than men. Compared to White men, White women earn 75.3%, Black women earn 63.3%, Native American women earn 57.7%, and Hispanic/Latina women earn 54.4%. These numbers are comparing median earnings of full time, year-round work between men and women.

In 2016, American women earned approximately 20% less than men. 1 This gap has narrowed substantially since 1963, when the Equal Pay Act was passed and women earned 41% less than men; 2 yet a gap persists, and a half century later women are still paid less than men in almost every occupation.

In June of 2017, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help the gender wage gap in Utah. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

Celina is a trusted center of influence with an extensive diversified network. Her passion and enthusiasm live in serving the communities of her home state. Born and raised in West Jordan, Celina’s background is in the travel and hospitality industry where she worked in various roles over 10 years.

A majority of the participants who had never attended college had once aspired to go. Some still see it as part of their future although existing data show that only a small percentage will actually follow through later in life. Participants who never aspired to get a college degree were a minority in this population.

Utah Women and Education Project researchers conducted in-depth research in 2010 to discover why more young women around the state are not attending and graduating from college. We discovered that fathers in Utah have a significant influence on their daughters’ college choices and regarding graduating from college.

In March 2017, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help Utahans have access to child care. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

A majority of the participants’ mothers wanted their daughters to attend college. Some mothers wanted their daughters to become independent career women while others believed that a college degree should be used as a backup plan in case their husbands were unable to care for them.

Ms. Han grew up in San Diego, California as the oldest of 7 children (5 brothers and 1 sister). She moved to Lehi, Utah while in high school and graduated from Lehi High. After high school she attended Snow College and UVSC. At UVSC she was involved with ASUVSC, the Service Learning Center, and many other campus organizations.

Do you want this year to be different? Are you looking to get your first, or your next, big promotion? You’re not alone. Research showed that, while men and women wanted to be promoted in equal numbers, women were far less likely to move forward in their organization.

Approximately 80% of U.S. women do not like how they look; furthermore, research shows that poor body image affects girls and women worldwide. Body image is “the perception that a person has of their physical self and the thoughts and feelings that result from that perception.

Not surprisingly, almost 90% of the young women participating in our survey believed that they received at least some level of support from their teachers in their high school scholastic efforts. A small minority (6%) felt they did not receive any support at all. The participants also provided in-depth responses regarding the influence of teachers.

In 2010, Utah Women and Education Project researchers conducted in-depth research to discover why more young women around the state are not attending and graduating from college. In this blog, we look at the influence school counselors and administrators have on young women attending college.

One of the things we discovered during our research is that school counselors and administrators can have a powerful influence on a young woman’s college decision. However, in our sample we found that only 32% of counselors and only one lone principal seized the opportunity to do so with these young women.

During my MATC schooling my senior year we had to prepare a career packet which consisted of a resume and a referral letter from an adult. He was obliged to provide the letter for me and after reading it, I realized how much confidence he had in my abilities to learn, and be a wonderful contributor to society.

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancers among U.S. women and the primary cause of cancer death among women in Utah.1 Yet, research has found that deaths from breast cancer can be substantially reduced if the tumor is discovered early, and mammography screening is the most effective method for the early detection.

I have never been one led by particular goals or a designated path. I’m a farm kid from Idaho who learned the value of hard work and doing the right thing at a young age from the parents and grandparents who raised me. At every opportunity I have had in life, I have tried to do the right thing.

In 2010, Utah Women and Education Project researchers conducted in-depth research to discover why more young women around the state are not attending and graduating from college. Here, we look at some of the many benefits women experience after getting a college degree.

We discovered that many young women in Utah do not understand the broad value of a college education. Most (96.3%) study participants understood that a college degree can benefit them financially; they knew they could potentially get a “good” or “higher paying job” if they had more education.

I have heard many law students describe their decision to come to law school as a “calling,” and because when you choose to follow a path you also choose its destination, a “calling” to the law as well. Students’ stories of this “call” illustrate a spiritual impetus that moved them here with a hunger to acquire legal skills.

I believe often times we are called to do the work we do. Several opportunities and experiences have lead me to women’s leadership. I have always been interested in why women lead and was so curious to understand the origins of those transformational moments in a women’s life.

According to the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, more than 40% of adult homicides in Utah since 2000 have been domestic violence related. Domestic violence is often presumed to refer only to physical violence, but it also includes many other forms of abuse—emotional, verbal, financial, and spiritual.

Female students’ (in K-12) achievement in mathematics and science is on par with their male peers and female students participate in high level mathematics and science courses at similar rates as their male peers, with the exception of computer science and engineering” (NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators, 2016).

I didn’t know my path would lead towards being a House Representative. I’ve always been drawn to serve people. It felt right to be involved with my community and contribute as much as I can to where it is needed. After seeing the lack of improvements, I wanted to stand up and give the unheard a loud voice.

I have come to realize that I am a product of “hardy stock” –a line of strong women. Both my mother and her mother were born in Pacific Junction, Iowa, a town that regularly experiences the flooding of the Missouri River. When I asked my mother “why do people stay?” Her reply was, “It’s their home, where would they go?”

It has been three years since the release of the first set of UWLP status briefs. This report updates the 2014 brief titled “The Status of Women in Utah Politics.” Tracking progress through updated status reports is an important way to help decision makers and other influencers clarify what is working and to determine and refine best steps moving forward.